Cameroon ballet to represent country in the US

Following recent reforms introduced by Arts and Culture Minister, Ama Tutu Muna, geared towards making Cameroon National Ballet very competitive in the world, the troops have been accessed ready to aptly represent the country’s rich cultural variety in the United States of America this month and in August.

The minister said the national ballet was fit to aptly showcase Cameroon culture next July 19 to 23, 2014, during the 103th Annual Convention of the National Association for Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) slated for Las Vegas at the invitation of American chorographer, Robert Garland, USA, and next August 4 in a concert organized by the John F. Kennedy Centre for Performing Arts.

The declaration was made last June 30 at the Cameroon Cultural Centre at the end of national ballet rehearsal watched by Minister Ama Tutu Muna, her close collaborators and the visiting US cultural promoters.

In prelude to these two events, over 15 dancers of the national ballet were offered accelerated refresher courses under the supervision of the visiting American chorographer, Robert Garland, following work accomplished last 10 to 17 June by a Cameroonian chorographer, Merlin Nyakam and with the implementation of partnership agreement between Cameroon National Ballet and great institutions for the promotion of dance, such as John F. Kennedy Centre for Performing Arts.

Speaking to reporters, Minister Ama Tutu Muna said “We are so grateful for this concern showed us by an American, Robert Garland. He has helped to raise to yet another high level the standard of our humble National Ballet.

This training was necessary especially as they will be performing in front of an American public which would demand high quality performance beyond our cultural specificity.

This training enabled Cameroonian folkloric and traditional choreographies to share experience with classical and modern ones.

This cultural exchange will be crowned by a joined choreography between our national ballet and the Dance Theatre of Harlem.

This is coming at the time the national ballet is now enjoying a solid legal status signed by the Prime Minister, Head of Government.”

The American chorographer, Robert Garland Lloyd who is a native from Philadelphia simply described Cameroon National Ballet as a treasure saying Cameroon has the most authentic dance of the African continent.